The conservative argument against abortion holds that abortion is not permissible, except under certain conditions. According to this perspective, abortion should only be allowed under some circumstances, such as pregnancy resulting from rape or incest. However, the extreme conservative position argues that abortion is not permissible under any circumstances (Sheldon, 2016). The underlying principle or assumption supporting any form of conservative view against abortion is that the moment a fetus is formed at conception, the process of life begins, and it should be classified as a person. In other words, a fetus is considered a living human being the moment it is conceived.
The liberal argument against abortion claims that women should make the final decision on whether to abort or not without the interference of third parties, such as governments, religiosity, and other related moral and legal aspects. As such, abortion becomes an issue of human rights, and the right of a woman to defend herself against the nonconsensual invasion of her body by an unwelcome fetus takes precedence (Thomson, 2016). This approach is called the feminist liberal view of abortion. The other liberal approach to this issue holds that a fetus is not a person; hence, it cannot enjoy any form of human rights. Therefore, a pregnant woman has the moral grounds to terminate a pregnancy.
The issue of personhood is an important concept in the abortion debate because it validates each side of the argument. Personhood in this debate is the point at which life is deemed to have started. On the one hand, conservatives base their argument against abortion on the premise that personhood starts at conception when the fetus becomes a human being with rights just like any other person. On the other hand, liberals argue that personhood starts at birth, and thus a pregnant mother can abort at any point in the pregnancy because fetuses cannot enjoy human rights. Therefore, the question of when personhood starts is at the center of the abortion debate, hence its importance.
I find the liberal view about abortion most plausible. I believe that becoming pregnant and giving birth are two different issues that should be approached with caution. Conceiving a child occurs in the process of sexual intercourse, which is a part of human pleasures, and it comes with few or no responsibilities. However, giving birth to a child comes with an implied duty that parents should take the responsibility of raising that child. Therefore, pregnant women should be given the option to decide whether to abort or give birth after making careful decisions.
References
Sheldon, S. (2016). The decriminalization of abortion: An argument for modernization. Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, 36(2), 334-365.
Thomson, J. (2016). Abortion and same-sex marriage: How are non-sectarian controversial issues discussed in Northern Irish politics? Irish Political Studies, 31(4), 483-501.